Impact of lipid profile alterations on the severity of liver cirrhosis

Background: Lipid derangements are commonly seen in chronic liver diseases. Estimating serum lipid profile allows better assessment of hepatic function and evaluation of the prognosis of patients with hepatic cirrhosis. Objectives: This study was carried out to determine the lipid profile changes and the severity of liver cirrhosis. Methods: It is a hospital-based cross-sectional descriptive study. A total of 119 patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. Thorough history taking and physical examination were done. Measurement of serum lipid profile was done. The severity of liver cirrhosis was determined using the Child-Pugh score, and then the lipid profile changes, and the severity of liver cirrhosis were correlated. Results: The mean age of the study population was 45.8 ± 10.6 years. Most patients were male (91.6%), and the remaining 8.4% were females. Alcohol was the most common underlying cause of liver cirrhosis (70.6%). Half of the participants were Child C (52.1%), followed by Child B (24.4%) and Child A (23.5%). The values of total cholesterol, triglyceride, Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL), and High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were decreased with increasing Child grading (P-value < 0.05). There was also a significant association between lipid profile changes and the severity of cirrhosis. Conclusion: Lipid derangements are commonly seen in cirrhosis of the liver. It helps diagnose the severity of liver disease and acts as a prognostic sign. Therefore, lipid profile assessment should be advised in all cases with cirrhosis.